Section 5: Unemployment Rates by States and Demographic Groups

Unemployment rates in the United States vary quite a bit by state. The unemployment rate in the nation was 4.1% in November of 2017 . Below is a table with 2011 – 2016 unemployment rates of selected states (most of the states not listed have unemployment rates close to the average national unemployment rate). The table shows that in 2016 Hawaii, Nebraska, North Dakota, and New Hampshire had the lowest unemployment rates. The highest rates were in Alaska, the District of Columbia, New Mexico, West Virginia and New Jersey. After 2011 most states have experienced a decrease in unemployment. Only five states experienced an increase in unemployment from 2015 to 2016 (Alaska, Delaware, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Wyoming).

State/Region

Unemployment Rate (2011, seasonally adjusted)

Unemployment Rate (2012, seasonally adjusted)

Unemployment Rate (2015, seasonally adjusted)

Unemployment Rate (Nov. 2016, seasonally adjusted)

United States

9.1

7.7

5.5

4.1

Alaska

7.4

6.8

6.7

7.2

California

11.7

9.8

6.3

4.6

Delaware

8.0

6.7

4.5

4.7

Florida

10.6

8.1

5.6

3.6

Hawaii

6.0

5.3

4.1

2.0

Iowa

6.0

4.9

3.8

2.9

Kansas

6.6

5.4

4.3

3.5

Maine

7.7

7.2

4.7

3.3

Maryland

6.8

6.6

5.3

3.9

Massachusetts

7.6

6.6

4.7

3.6

Michigan

10.3

8.9

5.4

4.6

Minnesota

6.6

5.7

3.7

3.1

Montana

7.3

5.8

4.0

4.0

Nebraska

4.1

3.7

2.5

2.7

Nevada

12.1

10.8

7.1

5.0

New Hampshire

6.9

5.6

3.8

2.7

New Mexico

4.0

6.2

6.2

6.1

New York

7.9

8.3

5.7

4.7

North Dakota

3.2

3.1

3.1

2.6

Oklahoma

5.3

5.2

4.1

4.2

Pennsylvania

7.4

7.8

5.3

4.6

Rhode Island

10.9

10.4

6.1

4.3

South Dakota

4.8

4.4

3.6

3.5

Texas

8.0

6.2

4.2

3.8

Utah

7.3

5.1

3.4

3.2

Vermont

5.4

5.2

3.6

2.9

Virginia

6.0

5.6

4.8

3.7

Wisconsin

7.4

6.7

4.4

3.2

Wyoming

6.0

5.1

4.1

4.3

District of Columbia

10.5

8.9

7.5

6.4

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017.

Unemployment Rates by Group

Unemployment rates in the United States vary significantly by group. Below is a table with 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2016 unemployment rates by selected demographic groups. The table shows that residents of Asian descent have the lowest unemployment rate, and Black or of African American descent, the highest. Among all groups, teenagers have the highest unemployment rates. Even though between 2014 and 2016 rates have decreased for all demographic groups, a serious concern is the high unemployment rate among Black or African American descent residents. The overall rate for Black or African American labor force participants was 8.4% in 2016. The unemployment rate for Black or African American teenagers (16 – 19 years) was particularly concerning at 26.7% in 2016. Regarding education levels, it is clear that the likelihood for unemployment decreases among people with more advanced degrees.